Investing.com - Activity in the UK construction sector rose last month but still remained subdued, according to a closely watched business survey released on Friday.
Research firm Markit said its construction purchasing managers’ index rose to 51.4 in February, compared to forecasts for a reading of 50.5.
Client demand still remains low due to "fragile business confidence and ongoing political uncertainty."
The prior month’s reading was 50.2.
Tim Moore, associate director at IHS Markit, said that residential construction was set to experience its worst quarter in over a year, suggesting a decline in demand for housing.
“Despite pockets of resilience in the UK construction sector, there was little sign of an imminent turnaround in overall growth momentum," he said. "Reflecting this, total volumes of new work dropped for the second month running in February and business optimism was among the weakest recorded by the survey since 2013.”